Beauty | December 28th 2016

Try This Holiday Peppermint Sugar Scrub to Fight Dry Skin

Are you looking for a homemade gift for the holidays this year? Or maybe you’re just trying to make your skincare routine a little more festive. Between the cold, dry winds and hot, dry heating systems, this time of year can be extra brutal on your skin.

So try HBFIT’s DIY peppermint sugar scrub. Sugar scrubs make a great exfoliant to get rid of old dead skin cells while promoting the growth of new ones. The fine texture of the sugar and the glycolic acid it contains will break down the cells without leaving behind any harmful chemicals that can clog your pores. Using a sugar scrub can help rejuvenate your skin, leaving it soft and smooth.

Sugar scrubs are fairly easy to make, and in fact you only need three ingredients. Any kind of granulated sugar works, although most recipes often suggest using white for visual appeal. Then you just need an oil base.

We’ve already raved about the benefits of coconut oil, and for good reason. It will not only clean your face, but also moisturize it. But you can also use almond oil, which will also clean your pores and even prevent acne.

So make your own holiday peppermint sugar scrub in these simple steps.

What You’ll Need

1-2 cups granulated sugar

½ cup coconut or almond oil

6-12 drops peppermint extract

Optional: red or green food coloring

Optional: other essential oils

If you’re using coconut oil, you want it in liquid form. You don’t want it to be hot, so you don’t need to cook it, just melt it.

Begin to mix in the sugar. You don’t want it to stay liquid, so keep adding in sugar until you have a consistency similar to lotion.

Add in the peppermint extract. Add in as much essential oil as you’ll need for your skin type. If you have sensitive skin, start with four drops.

Optional: You can make your scrub all your own by adding in other essential oils to the mixture. For example, lavender will infuse it with a relaxing aroma, and lemon can help energize you.

Optional: If you want a more festive looking mixture, you can add in red or green food coloring to give it a candy cane hue.

This recipe may not actually contain candy canes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try it out. If you want to get extra festive, you can grind up real candy canes which will also add some color. If you’re using the traditional red and white canes, it’ll turn your paste a pale pink shade.